Hospital window | Motivational Stories
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Hospital window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by th! e window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Author Unknown

{ 233 comments… add one }
  • Gloria December 14, 2019, 12:55 pm

    Wow! Great lesson indeed

  • Brinda Bose Sengupta December 8, 2019, 9:02 pm

    Beautiful!

  • Juvie Dianne Casinto November 27, 2019, 2:16 am

    interesting story!

  • pravin goswami October 4, 2019, 4:07 am

    very interesting story!

  • shana parween October 4, 2019, 3:14 am

    nice

  • pravin goswami October 4, 2019, 3:11 am

    good story! i like the story.

  • Prince September 11, 2019, 9:46 am

    Very nice story

  • Denis kipruto June 19, 2019, 12:25 am

    so encouraging

  • Autumn May 24, 2019, 8:39 am

    I CRIED THE WHOLE TIME!!! Such a sweet story!!

  • Luckey November 21, 2018, 2:09 pm

    This is the best story I read on.

  • emily September 5, 2018, 5:20 pm

    this is a great story;)

  • Kavitha November 19, 2017, 1:42 am

    Nice short story
    This story makes me to think about others how to give happiness to others Thank u

  • Renu anand November 2, 2017, 1:30 pm

    I have no words but just want to say its beautiful .it touch my heart?

  • Lewy April 15, 2017, 3:43 am

    I had no roommate while I recovered from spinal fusion. I would have given anything to not be alone there.

  • Ezeudoye Samuel April 6, 2017, 4:29 pm

    Always think for others not only for yourselves!!!

  • Devraj January 30, 2017, 5:19 am

    This is a great story. Very inspirational with great amount of imagination. How small things are important which we neglect from our naked eyes.

  • Thouseef January 5, 2017, 11:37 pm

    Heart touching story…

    • Ann February 28, 2020, 1:40 am

      What a lovely story! It touch me load.

  • Wisperotaba January 2, 2017, 7:39 am

    Extremely inspiring.

  • Call Wafula December 31, 2016, 9:45 am

    Really? This is marvellous!

  • Kentucky December 23, 2016, 1:10 pm

    Nice story…………we don’t need to rush to get where others are or were as d case my be.

  • Shakeel December 15, 2016, 12:09 pm

    A man with good heart also has good imaginations. In fact persons love to remain in their self created imaginations

  • Srinivas June 3, 2016, 8:19 am

    Live for other that makes you happy

  • Mlotshwa Tsepo February 12, 2016, 8:43 pm

    Thank you

  • Bishnu May 10, 2015, 2:49 pm

    This story taught me that , whether you have something or not but always try to make someone happy with something.

  • Tshepiso Nhlanzie April 28, 2015, 7:56 am

    Wow such an inspiring story. It inspires people to live for each other nd value each other’s lives

  • Adiba Shaikh April 25, 2015, 11:00 am

    This is sad but very inspirational story. It teaches us to live for others. It is important for youngsters as an inspiration and motivation

  • Gunjan Tiwari February 26, 2015, 7:19 am

    Seriously the story was very nice….and taught a very good lesson that live for others

  • Mitch September 30, 2014, 1:42 am

    Love the story it is really touching…hope it will touch your heart too

  • Vince July 20, 2014, 1:42 am

    So… so…so sad but very inspirational!

  • Suganya June 29, 2014, 4:37 am

    Very nice inspiring story

  • Rupadev June 27, 2014, 8:21 am

    Fantastic Story….Inspirational…..Love others….God Bless U!!!

  • Bhupinder singh June 20, 2014, 11:44 am

    Very heart touching story. Those who find happiness in giving other’s happiness god bless them with good the blind patient will find a place in heaven

  • Lagay egay June 11, 2014, 8:34 pm

    Great stories to share thnx

  • Aishu April 24, 2014, 1:37 am

    I love this story becuz it has the meaning of love towards ur loved one aur ur friend 😮

  • Job A.T. February 19, 2014, 5:09 am

    What a wonderful motivation!!!!!!!

  • Rd anand February 13, 2014, 12:04 am

    Read it early morning one day, laying in bed ill. I could not hold back my tears. Truly very touching story. You realise the real importance of those who have helped you in bad times.

  • DivyaLokeshGowda February 4, 2014, 3:22 am

    In this story, the blind man wanted his roommate to be happy by his imagination of saying the story even he was feeling happy the moral is when we make others happy internally we feel happy but we ourselves can’t know.

  • Kajal singh December 5, 2013, 1:12 am

    I love this story, it was an awesome story.

  • Alex December 4, 2013, 11:48 pm

    Even though it’s been a while, since it first appeared, the story made me cry and my students loved it they went into tears. We need more authors like this anonymous author. Kinds of needing to read more stories like this one.

    I like this site very much. People may god bless you all.

  • Jit November 18, 2013, 6:17 am

    It has moved me. Thank you.

  • Steve October 21, 2013, 5:44 pm

    I love this short story. My dad sent this to me via email years ago, now ironically he is the seriously ill man with fluid in his lungs. Thanks very much for posting.

  • Christy Perera October 6, 2013, 9:59 am

    “The man by the window” by Harry Buschman is the author of this story.

  • Gupta Kamal September 18, 2013, 9:49 am

    Nice. Actual mood stabiliser.

  • Uche onyejekwe September 13, 2013, 8:55 am

    Be the best you can be while you are still alive death is inevitable.

  • Vishal Tripathi August 30, 2013, 5:48 pm

    It is a very touching story. I really felt good after reading this story. Thanks a lot.

  • Anonymous August 29, 2013, 9:27 am

    Touching story…

  • Dhivya August 19, 2013, 7:29 am

    Wooov! I love this story.

  • Preciouswoman20 August 7, 2013, 5:36 am

    So nice…

  • Mitsirugi August 2, 2013, 2:52 pm

    Truly a beautiful story…I read this a while ago. I so badly wish it could have been published. I’ve found the owner, and she’s an amazing person who talks with as much inspiration as this story gives all the time. I truly wish she could have gotten the appreciation she deserves. Naziyah, you did a great job.

  • Juliet chioma July 31, 2013, 2:10 pm

    I cried when I read the story, it was really inspiring and heart-touching.

  • Savindra Kumar July 29, 2013, 11:59 am

    It is a very touching story. I really felt good after reading this story. Thanks a lot.

  • Sammy M July 22, 2013, 8:35 pm

    Why are people calling this just a ‘story’. This is fuel for the journey of life amidst our friends, a correction of mistakes of selfishness.

    Am in inspired whenever I read it!

  • Adnan Zafar July 21, 2013, 7:26 am

    Oh my God it’s amazing. I was not fan of reading but now I can’t stop myself to read all your lovely stories.

  • Swathi July 14, 2013, 7:14 am

    This is a great story. I love it.

  • Akash June 29, 2013, 12:26 am

    Thanks a lot for sharing this one. Keep collecting and posting!

  • Ria June 24, 2013, 12:41 pm

    It is not necessary to love the one’s you only know.

  • Rkumar June 19, 2013, 7:29 am

    Very inspiring…Thanks

  • Monica June 11, 2013, 1:12 am

    Awesome story which is to be encouraged.

  • Ar2x June 4, 2013, 7:01 am

    I’m holding my tears back as I was reading the story. In some ways it conveys that no matter who you are-rich/poor, ill/healthy etc. We can still help other people, be it small or big.. What’s important is we live life for others as we should supposed to do. Hats off to the author! Can’t wait to share this.

  • Jerome Joseph June 1, 2013, 8:04 am

    We should think about a real change in our attitude and behaviour after reading this story.. To live happily in this world, we should make others happy and if all the people think about making others happy like the blind man did, how beautiful this world was!

  • Tarun May 25, 2013, 3:02 pm

    Great story.

  • Addie Covington May 24, 2013, 9:06 pm

    I found this story when I was 8 and it has kept me inspired ever since. Beautiful moral and message; keep it up. As my grandmother always said, “I see, said the blind man.”

  • Thangam.N May 9, 2013, 5:49 am

    One of the Best stories I have read.

  • Ravi Jogai May 3, 2013, 4:44 am

    Great example of encouragement.

  • Yasmine May 1, 2013, 8:20 am

    One of the best stories I have read.

  • Tanmay Chaudhari April 27, 2013, 1:56 pm

    Interesting story…..

  • Divya April 26, 2013, 12:26 am

    This story is a teaching in itself how one so lifeless and deprived himself could so efficiently describe something just for sake of small happy moments of others life….that’s really wonderful to memorize and practice….

  • Barbara April 12, 2013, 12:41 pm

    This story is over 50 years old, I thought O. Henry wrote it. However I cannot find it mentioned in his works, the first time I saw it was in the late 50’s or early 60’s on a TV SHOW I thought it was the O. henry playhouse but I am probably wrong.

    However when i saw it, it was I think two men in a prisoner of war hospital in Germany, If you have ever read any of O.Henry’s works like the gift of magi or the Ransom of red chief, you can see, the similarities. However, it is a good story and shows the two sides of human nature: oh in the one I saw, when the one man died and the other one was moved to the window, he did the same thing for his roommate. You know lied to him!

  • Queen Arfa April 12, 2013, 10:37 am

    Made my tears like crystals.

  • Amber April 7, 2013, 8:01 pm

    What is the quote or text that supports that short stories help us in life?

  • Alex Mutak March 24, 2013, 11:29 am

    Thanks. A very inspiring story… Two thumbs up.

  • Caleb March 21, 2013, 12:21 am

    This is a really great story. That guy was really trying to lighten the other guy’s mood. Sad that he passed away.

  • Sachin March 17, 2013, 5:19 am

    It’s a nice story, it tells we should encourage friends upto our limit.

  • Biker March 1, 2013, 6:39 am

    This story is beautiful!

  • Veena.V.V February 11, 2013, 6:23 am

    Heart touching….!

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